The Price of Loyalty George W Bush the White House and the Education of Paul ONeill

Updated with a new afterword and including a selection of key documents, this is the explosive account of how the Bush administration makes policy on war, taxes, and politics — its true agenda exposed by a member of the Bush cabinet.

This vivid, unfolding narrative is like no other book that has been written about the Bush presidency. At its core are the candid assessments of former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O’Neill, the only member of Bush’s cabinet to leave and speak frankly about how and why the administration has come to its core policies and decisions — from cutting taxes for the rich to conducting preemptive war.

O’Neill’s account is supported by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind’s interviews with numerous participants in the administration, by transcripts of meetings, and by voluminous documents. The result is a disclosure of breadth and depth unparalleled for an ongoing presidency. As readers are taken to the very epicenter of government, Suskind presents an astonishing picture of a president so carefully managed in his public posture that he is a mystery to most Americans. Now, he is revealed.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars The First Blow to the Bush Administration
After years of rough news for the George W. Bush administration it may seem hard to think back to what was the first shot across its bow. That shot came from it first treasury secretary, Paul O’Neill. Yes, Ron Suskind’s article about John Diullio came first, but Diullio caved to White House pressure to renege what he had said (coining the phrase Mayberry Machiavelli’s to describe the operation of the White House Political shop).

O’Neill’s served as the first lasting shot because of the inability of the White House to force him to renege, but also because of his stature O’Neill had a seat at the table of some of the bigger discussions of the first two years of the Bush White House (though not at the political table). What he saw shocked the man who had spent decades working for previous republican presidents. O’Neill is a man of reason, principle, and cautious analysis. The carelessness with which Bush, Cheney, and the political people acted on what should have been serious issues amazed and shocked O’Neill.

As such, O’Neill began to speak out off script. He was considered loose cannon by the political team, and was eventually held at arms length. Finally, after the mid-term elections of November 2002, Cheney fired O’Neill.

The audio recording was very well done by actor Edward Hermann. Overall the book was eye opening. I highly recommend this book.

3 Stars The Price of Loyalty
The Price of Layalty by Ron Suskind, for me was a little long on accounting arguments and to short on relationship details. the difficulty of working with George W. Bush, an out of touch person with no sence of the reality or commpassion for the common man and what he is going through, is in their some where, I think. You just have to look really hard for it. Also, it is apparent that Ideology was far more important to the president than listening to the smartest people in our nation about what would be best for the good of people. But then again you had to wade through the mundane to get that. On the other hand I give it a little higher marks because it at least revealed what a stupid Idiot We have had as president of eight years.

2 Stars Tedious
Hardly worth the hype. Reluctant hero. It’s so devoted to the minutiae (?) of the economic policies, no wonder Bush was bored of it. Rather overdramatizing too, for its subject areas. Uninspiring writing.

3 Stars more revealing than perhaps it realises
One of the bizarre outcomes of a Republican allowing a liberal ideologue like Suskind to write his kiss and tell is that it makes Paul O’Neill - the Big O, as Bush called him - seem something of a flaky idiot. Literally every second chapter he is flying off to Africa with Bono. Is trying to solve Ghana’s water problem in the job description of Treasury Secretary of the United States, a job founded by Alexander Hamilton? This kind of outside-the-box enthusiasm may have worked at Alcoa, but it doesn’t suit one of the highest offices in the land, and (if true) is cause enough for Cheney to have fired him, notwithstanding his non-cooperation with most of the administration on most economic issues, especially tax cuts.

That said, still worth reading, particularly for its stuff on Iraq policy.

5 Stars The Truth comes out.
A very well researched and well informed factual take on the misdirection of the current administration. Well written and will be enjoyed and informative to both sides.

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